Doug: Our good buddy David_b dropped us a note last week to say he's itching to buy some of the Bronze Age calendars, but was having a hard time finding any images that might encourage his bidding. So, since I happen to have six calendars down in the Batcave, I am going to provide some .jpgs over the next couple of Sundays to help him out. Of course, the rest of you who are curious can peruse these gems as well. Enjoy!
Disclaimer -- our camera is terrible; 90% of the time the pictures come out blurry. Couple that with a hand I'm not going to claim to be steady, and I have to report that I had to leave several months out -- believe it or not, the images below were the
good ones! If my scanner was larger, I'd have done this the right way. But I still hope you'll get a kick out of what I have to show. Thanks for your understanding!
My favourite has to be the Bicentennial calendar. I love that Sal Buscema Champions/Defenders line-up. But I've never seen that "Revolutionary" Frank Robbins Invaders portrait before. Look at the Torch's happy little smile!
ReplyDeleteA tremendous thanks, Doug.. I was curious to see Milgrom's signature on a few, always seemed to be a better inker than artist IMHO. Was that a Kubert Flash painting..? Was trying to tell from the facial structure but wasn't sure.
ReplyDeleteI only had the DC '76 one, featured here on a page I just found as I was typin' this up..:
http://thedorkreview.blogspot.com/2011/11/1976-super-dc-calendar.html
I originally was curious whether anyone knew any good websites that showcase the monthly art. As you can see, many of the '76 calendar became very iconic Adams/Giordano, gracing mugs, shirts, you name it.
I do remember the super '75 Marvel one quite well. Just great shots for matting/framing around the office, mancave, you name it.
They happen to have the DC Disasters calendar here too..:
http://thedorkreview.blogspot.com/2011/11/cool-calendar-1978-dc-calendar-of-super.html
(Sorry Doug, didn't see this until this morning..)
Enjoy everyone!
You know, the blur in a way lends these images an almost 3D effect, if you move your eyes a little when looking at them. :)
ReplyDeleteWas that Dracula & the Man-Thing menacing Paul Revere in that Bicentennial calendar? No wonder he rode so fast! :)
ReplyDelete- Mike 'Trinidad & Tobago is 50 years this year' from Trinidad & Tobago.
You can tell disaster movies were big then just by looking at the DC calendar. Way to jump a trend, guys!
ReplyDeleteI really like the Black Lightning poster, is that Heat Wave he's battling?
ReplyDeleteLove these calendars. I still remember the shock of seeing them in big chain-type bookstores in the 70's like Waldens and B. Daltons. They didn't exactly have graphic novel sections back then.
ReplyDeleteJames Chatterton
Haha--fun to see Hulk in uniform!
ReplyDeleteI like the art on the Thor/Ben Franklin picture. Does it say who drew this Doug?
David, could it be Irv Novick drawing Flash?
Yep, that's Irv Novick on the Flash. He was the regular Flash artist during the 70's. He was dependable and devoid of "flash", like Dick Dillin on the JLA. I always thought his style perfectly fit the Flash as written by Cary Bates. There was nothing ground-breaking, but the Flash in the 70's was always good for entertaining done-in-one stories with decent plot twists. They kind of carried the silver age traditions into the bronze. Also, the bronze-age kid in me was super-excited whenever Green Lantern, Kid Flash or the Golden Age Flash showed up for a team-up.
ReplyDeleteConversely, I never liked Novick as much on Batman (his other regular series in the 70's). After Adams and Aparo, it's hard to settle down with Novick. But I would still take him over Robbins any day.
James Chatterton
Yep, Novick it is.. Sorry, hard to tell.
ReplyDeleteJames is right as to 'what we had back then'... OT, anyone remember those Marvel and DC 'postage stamp' sets they had in '76..? I only had one of the Trek sets with the accompanying book, but it was another fun item at the bookstores.
Here's a link..:
http://www.mycomicshop.com/search?q=Flash%20TV%20Special&qloc=N&TID=503761
NOT meant as a hijaak on a subject I brought up originally, but just curious.
Comicsfan --
ReplyDeleteGlad my blurry photography made your day!
Mike --
If I recall, the Marvel monsters are menacing Ichabod Crane in a painting by Frank Brunner.
Doug
I loved these calenders and wonder why they haven't maintained this format in future editons? The quality was much better and I'd be willing to pay a few extra bucks to buy them.
ReplyDeleteI know the Marvel calenders at present don't have the same personal touch as the very early ones did.
The pictures of the creators added a personal touch and a face to the company that was 70's Marvel. Why did they have to abandon such a good idea?
I had to sell my calenders along with my comics long ago to pay for a massive car repair. Can't say my comics didn't pay off because they did. It kept my car of 18 years going.
The seventies era of Marvel is one I miss. A lot. The time of $1.50 Tresury Editions, Jack Kirby comics and artists who knew how to draw. I have very little interest in the new material. Whenever I go to the bookstore or Amazon I always look for Marvel and DC from the 1970's. It brings back a lot of good memories!
ReplyDeleteOn the subject of old Marvel calenders and 70's art:
ReplyDeleteI found a 2013 Star Wars Calender at wal Mart that has images of old Star Wars Marvel Comic book covers!
It has a lot of the early ones created after the film. It's only $10! It has a nice large space for the cover image and I am sure it's on the Wal Mart site or even Amazon.
Some of you may know that Dark Horse Comics reprint the old SW Marvel comics in paperback collections. The covers were very iconic and marked a time in my life where I was learning to draw by copying the cover art.
Man, I love that idiosyncratic 1976 calendar - which they would put as much thought into the calendars they put out today instead of just filling them with golden age reprints.
ReplyDelete